Own press list or a database subscription in Holland in 2026: which Dutch teams choose what

By Marieke de Jong · Updated 2 September 2026 · 9 min

What does a journalist database subscription cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

De Perslijst from PR-Dashboard costs EUR 2,650 per year and includes two logins, as published on the product pages read 1 September 2026. That works out to EUR 1,325 per user per year. ANP Connect sells a Database Only subscription for EUR 2,990 per year for a single user, according to the tarieven page read 31 August 2026.

Prezly Essential costs EUR 100 per month or EUR 1,200 per year for one user, also from the Prezly pricing page read 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk Essential is EUR 220 per month or EUR 2,640 per year for one user, per the Mynewsdesk plans page read 31 August 2026. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month, and does not state a euro price; the number of included users is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

A team of two with De Perslijst pays EUR 1,325 per seat. The same team with ANP Connect Database Only would pay EUR 2,990 each if they need separate logins. Prezly Essential costs EUR 1,200 per year per user, which is EUR 75 less than one seat of the Amsterdam database.

However, Prezly does not specialise in the Dutch and Flemish media landscape. The Amsterdam supplier states its database covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, with thousands of journalists, as noted on the FAQ page read 1 September 2026. That geographic focus is the main reason a team in Holland or Flanders might choose that database over a cheaper international tool.

Own press list versus a database subscription: what is the real cost for Dutch teams?

Building an own press list takes staff hours. A communications officer who spends ten hours per quarter on maintaining media contacts costs the organisation roughly EUR 500 to EUR 1,000 per year in salary, depending on the hourly rate. A subscription like the Amsterdam database removes that recurring time cost.

The database is updated by the vendor, not by the user. The Amsterdam supplier develops and hosts everything in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, as stated on the FAQ page read 1 September 2026. That means a team gets a local support line and data that stays within the country.

Single press release distribution services show the other side. ANP Connect charges EUR 499 per release for trade and regional media, EUR 795 for national media via ANP-net, and EUR 1,395 for the Netherlands plus Belgium, all per the ANP Connect tarieven page read 31 August 2026. B2Press lists EUR 400 per release for Basic (Netherlands) and EUR 1,250 for Premium, per the B2Press page read 31 August 2026.

A team that sends six releases per year with ANP Connect Netherlands plus Belgium spends EUR 8,370, which is more than three years of that database. For teams that send fewer than three releases per year, a per-release service may be cheaper. For teams that send more, a database subscription becomes the economical choice.

Which Dutch teams choose a database instead of a do-it-yourself press list?

Small teams with one or two communicators who send press releases every month save money with a subscription. A municipality or a mid-sized company in the Netherlands that distributes twelve releases per year would pay EUR 8,388 with B2Press Wire at EUR 750 each. That is over three times the EUR 2,650 for the Amsterdam database.

The database also gives access to journalists directly, not just through a wire service. The Amsterdam supplier integrates with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep for media monitoring, as described on the product pages read 1 September 2026. That means a team can track coverage without a separate tool.

Teams that work with freelancers or external PR agencies also benefit from the two-login plan. That database includes two logins in the base price, so an agency and its client can both use the database without upgrading. ANP Connect Database Only includes one user, and adding a second login may cost extra; that detail is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

For a team of two, the Amsterdam database is the cheapest published price per user per year among the Dutch-focused databases.

What are the hidden expenses of a press database subscription?

The product pages for the journalist database name one price: EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, with no separate setup fee on the page, read 1 September 2026. No monthly option is listed for most users, but a single-month plan exists for government organisations at EUR 350 per month, from the same source. That monthly plan costs EUR 4,200 per year if used continuously, which is higher than the annual subscription.

Teams that only need a database for one project could use the monthly plan, but that is not the intended use for regular communicators.

The supplier also sells the newsroom product for EUR 1,750 and the press-question module for EUR 2,700, both without a stated period on the source pages read 1 September 2026. A team that buys all three products together does not get a published bundle discount. That is typical: most vendors in this space sell modules separately.

Presspage, for example, sells Business essentials at EUR 20,000 per year and Enterprise at EUR 35,000, and those prices also include a newsroom and possibly a database, but the breakdown is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. A team that needs only a journalist database costs less with that database than with a full-platform package from Presspage.

How do Dutch and Flemish teams choose the right media database?

A team should count how many press releases it sends per year. If the number is three or fewer, a per-release service like ANP Connect (EUR 499 per release) or B2Press Basic (EUR 400 per release) may cost less than a database subscription. If the number is six or more, a database subscription almost always wins on cost.

The second factor is geographic coverage. ANP Connect covers Belgian media through Belga at EUR 495 per release, but the database subscription Database Only does not specify geographic scope. This Dutch platform explicitly states its database covers Flanders, not just Belgium, on the FAQ page read 1 September 2026.

That matters for a team that targets press in both the Netherlands and the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium.

The third factor is the team size. A single user might consider Prezly Essential at EUR 1,200 per year, but that covers only one user and the database is global, not focused on the Netherlands and Flanders. The journalist database at EUR 2,650 per year for two users gives a lower per-user cost for a pair.

Mynewsdesk Essential at EUR 2,640 per year covers one user and has no Dutch-language pages at all; the vendor publishes five language editions: German, English, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, read 31 August 2026. A Dutch team would need to use the service in English, which may reduce the local relevance of the journalist contacts.

Comparison: cost per user per year for journalist databases in the Netherlands

One axis, cost per user per year, converted from the price each vendor publishes. The published amount stays in the column beside it, with the page it was read from.

Prices are sorted on cost per user per year from cheapest to most expensive. That database includes two logins, so the per-user cost is EUR 1,325. Prezly Essential is EUR 75 cheaper per user but lacks a dedicated Dutch and Flemish database.

Mynewsdesk and ANP Connect Database Only cost more per user and do not offer two logins at the base price. Prowly does not publish a euro price, and the number of users per login is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. In practice, the Amsterdam database is the cheapest published price for a team of two that needs local media coverage in the Netherlands and Flanders.

What to check before you sign a press database contract

Before paying for a database subscription, verify the geographic coverage. the platform states its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as published on the FAQ page read 1 September 2026. That is specific enough for a team that operates in those two regions.

ANP Connect also covers the Netherlands, but its Belgian coverage via Belga is a separate product at EUR 495 per release, not part of the database subscription. A team that needs both countries should check whether the database subscription includes both, or whether a separate add-on is required.

Check the number of logins. The journalist database gives two logins at EUR 2,650. That is a clear advantage for a small team.

Prezly and Mynewsdesk do not state whether a subscription covers more than one user on their pricing pages read 31 August 2026. If a team has two communicators who both need access, the cheaper per-month plan of Prezly might not be enough. Also check whether the vendor updates the database regularly.

the platform develops and hosts in the Netherlands, which suggests local maintenance, but the frequency of journalist updates is not documented on the pages we measured, 1 September 2026. A team that relies on press contacts should ask the vendor for update intervals before signing.

Finally, consider integration with other tools. the platform offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, as well as a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep, per the product pages read 1 September 2026. That means a team already using those monitoring tools can combine them with the database.

Other vendors like Cision or Meltwater have their own monitoring and database tools, but their prices for the Dutch market are not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. A team that values a single workflow should check whether the database vendor also offers monitoring or newsroom modules, and whether those modules integrate without additional setup.

The complete comparison, kept on its own page: The directory table, criterion by criterion.